The Special Delivery Raid
by AliasCWN
Summary: Headquarters wants a high ranking German officer for information but they get more than they bargained for when the Rat Patrol and Dietrich get involved.
1. Chapter 1

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"Welcome to North Africa Lieutenant." Captain Hans Dietrich studied the young officer standing in front of his desk. The young man had arrived with the latest group of replacements and had immediately gotten into a quarrel with another officer. The resulting fight had drawn a large crowd of enlisted men to cheer on the combatants. Oddly enough, the youthful officer before him seemed more belligerent than contrite on being called into his commanders office. "You know Lieutenant, I had the pleasure of serving under your father in Poland."

The young soldier starred at his commanding officer without speaking.

"Your father was a fine officer."

This finally got a response from the young man. "He still is Captain."

With a dip of his head, Dietrich acknowledged the correction. "It was an honor to serve under him. I hope that our future relationship will turn out to be as pleasant."

The lieutenant snorted at the remark. "We both know why I'm here Captain, don't try to pretend that we're going to be friends."

"Perhaps not friends Lieutenant, but I do hope that we can find a way to work together. For your fathers sake, I think we should at least try to be professional."

An emotion crossed the youthful face before the Lieutenant lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry Captain, for my fathers' sake, I will try."

Dietrich nodded, "Then perhaps you could try to avoid the types of situations that brought you to my attention. Fighting among officers is bad for morale."

"Yes Captain." The Lieutenant answered sullenly.

"You're new here Lieutenant so I will overlook it this time," he paused, waiting for the Lieutenant to meet his eyes, " but it must not happen again. I won't overlook it twice, not even for your father. He would never allow such behavior in his command, and I don't usually tolerate it either." The Captain issued the warning in a stern tone.

The young officer kept his head down.

"Dismissed Lieutenant." Dietrich watched as the young officer gave him a quick salute and rushed from his office. He noticed with a frown that the Lieutenant did not bother to return the salutes of the enlisted men he passed on his way out. Pushing his way past the guard on duty, he continued to ignore everyone he met. The Captain sighed heavily and returned his attention to the latest patrol reports on his desk.

The reports took most of the afternoon to finish reading and coding to send to headquarters. He noted with trepidation that the jeeps of the Rat Patrol had been seen by two separate patrols in the area. The last report gave him something else to concern him; an inspection of his base was scheduled for the following week.

The Captain paused in his reading to consider the inspection. Normally he wouldn't have given it a second thought, but the recently dismissed Lieutenant posed a new challenge. If he kept disrupting the usual smooth flow of command on the base, morale would suffer, and efficiency would be lost. Knowing he could lose his command over a bad inspection report, Dietrich made the decision to get to the bottom of the lieutenants unhealthy attitude. Calling to an aide, he sent for another of his junior officers.

Lieutenant Otto Reitter answered the summons at a run. He entered the Captains office and came stiffly to attention; his perfect salute seemed to crack with precision.

"At ease Lieutenant." The Captain returned the salute and motioned the young officer to a chair. The lieutenant sat stiffly, still looking like he was at attention. Dietrich couldn't help but marvel at the differences in the young officers. While he had not appreciated the lax attitude of his earlier visitor, the stiff formality of this one made him uncomfortable. "Relax Lieutenant, it is just you and I here, we can forego some of the stringent formalities."

The Lieutenant nodded but remained stiff.

Dietrich sighed in resignation and walked around his desk to stand in front of the young soldier. Clasping his hands behind his back, he paused to organize his thoughts.

The Lieutenant watched him warily, his shoulders back, his spine as straight as the back of the chair.

"For petes' sake Lieutenant, I don't bite!" Dietrich snapped in exasperation.

The young officer jumped before he smiled. "Sorry Sir, just trying to be respectful."

Relaxing his own posture, the Captain smiled at the nervous youth. "And I thank you Lieutenant, but when we are alone, we can relax a bit. Respect is fine, but there are times, like this, when we can just be fellow officers. Save the rigid posturing for in front of the troops." He tried to soften his criticism so he wouldn't make the youth any more nervous than he appeared to be already. "Do you understand Lieutenant?"

Lt. Reitter nodded and let his body relax as the Captain smiled at him. "Thank you Sir."

Dietrich nodded and walked across the room to look out the window over the compound. With his back to the lieutenant he felt more at ease, less self-conscious about what he was about to ask. "Have you met Lieutenant von Strom?"

"Yes Sir." Lt. Reitter answered cautiously. We met right after his arrival." The youth lowered his head, "I was one of those who broke up the fight Sir." He sounded reluctant to voice an opinion.

"What did you think of him?" The Captain turned to watch the junior officer as he answered.

A blush crept up the face of Lt. Reitter at the question. "I don't like to speak ill of another officer Sir."

"Then you don't like him?"

"I only met him the one time Sir. I don't really know him." Lt. Reitter stammered.

"But you must have formed some sort of opinion, a first impression, so to speak."

The Lieutenant eyed his commander uneasily. "Yes Sir."

"Well?"

"He acts like he has a huge chip on his shoulder Captain. He shows no respect for either the enlisted men or other officers." The Lieutenant hesitated until Dietrich nodded at him to continue. "The men already resent his attitude and the other officers don't want to work with him. All this and he has only just arrived on the base; perhaps I should consider that an accomplishment in itself." The Lieutenant eyed his commander, afraid that he may have gone too far. He sighed with relief when the Captain only nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you Lieutenant, I suspected as much, but it's best to have it confirmed." The Captain paced his small office, deep in thought. "I would like you to keep an eye on him Lieutenant. Keep me informed as to his behavior. If he gets into another fight, I want to know about it immediately."

"Yes Sir."

"I hate to ask you to inform on another officer Lieutenant, but we have an inspection coming up, I need to know if there is going to be a problem."

"I understand Sir." Lt. Reitter responded.

With a wave of his hand Dietrich dismissed the other officer. "Thank you Lieutenant. I will expect a daily report from you on Lt. von Strom."

"Yes Sir." The Lieutenant stood and saluted. As soon as the Captain returned his salute he spun on his heel smartly and exited the office, leaving Dietrich to his own thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"The Germans are sending a high ranking officer to all their desert bases to do an inspection." Captain Boggs looked at the four men crowded around the map on his table. "Headquarters just happens to want a high ranking officer to question about their latest offensive. Someone suggested that we grab the officer doing the inspections; they think he'll have lots of useful information on the German bases and troop strengths. And it just so happens that by 'we', they mean 'you'. Your orders are to intercept the column and somehow grab the officer in charge."

"Just how are we supposed to grab an officer in front of a whole column of Germans?" Sam Troy stared at the map in front of him as he asked the question.

"That's up to you Sergeant. Headquarters doesn't care how you do it, as long as it gets done." The Captain shrugged.

"Great." Troy grunted, almost to himself. The other three members of the team looked on without comment. "So suppose we manage to grab this guy," Troy looked up at the Captain, " where do we have to deliver him?"

"Right here Sergeant. Headquarters will send someone to pick him up once you get him here."

"They do know that we're going to have half the German Afrika Korps on our tail the minute we grab him, right?"

"Then I suggest that you grab him and move fast Sergeant." Captain Boggs responded with a straight face. "I know this assignment is not ideal, but it is what it is. You've done something similar several times before this."

Troy let his breath out in a huff. "Yeah Captain, we've grabbed more than one high ranking officer for headquarters to question. The difference is, we've been seen in the area. They're going to be watching for us, expecting something. If they even suspect what we're after, they'll set a trap for us." Troy sighed as he ran out of steam. "We can do the job Captain, I just wish that they wouldn't pick such high profile targets. Heck, Dietrich would be easier to grab right about now." He added in disgust.

"But Command doesn't want Dietrich." Captain Boggs informed him with a small smile.

"Yeah, I hear you Captain." The sergeant resumed studying the map. "So what route is this column expected to take?"

The Captain ran his finger across the map, pointing out the expected route. There were several places where the terrain was too rough for the column to deviate from the road and others where they could wander off course by miles. Troy studied the known path, looking for good campsites where the Germans were likely to stop.

"What makes this guy so special anyway?" Hitchcock asked as the meeting wound down.

"He has ties to Berlin and some of the high command of the Nazi Party. According to G-2, he just finished a tour of the bases in Europe and is in the process of doing the same thing here. He'll have a lot of useful information on those bases too, if we can capture him and convince him to talk."

"The Germans aren't going to like our getting our hands on him." Tully observed quietly.

"Troy's right. Jerry will be after us the moment they realize that we have him." Jack Moffitt met Troy's gaze. "They'll throw everything they have at us."

"Then maybe we should convince them that we don't have him." Troy said thoughtfully. "Maybe we should just kill him off."

"No!" Captain Boggs interrupted the conversation. "Headquarters wants him alive!" He glared at Troy.

"Yeah, we know." Troy growled. "But the Germans don't need to know that. If we can convince them that he's dead they won't have any reason to chase us….Other than the usual ones, that is."

"At least not much." Tully added with a grin.

"You mean fake his death?" The Captain was looking at Troy suspiciously.

Troy cocked his head and smiled a crooked smile. "It might get them off our tail. If they think he died, they won't come looking for him or put so much effort into looking for us."

"How are we going to pull that off Sarge?" Mark Hitchcock questioned. "They'll look for a body. If he's that important, they're going to need some kind of proof."

"What if he were to get blown up?"

Everyone turned to stare at Tully.

"If a bomb hit the jeep, there wouldn't be any bodies left to find." Tully shrugged as if it made all the sense in the world.

"You volunteering to drive it?" Troy asked.

"I was sort of thinking we could blow up an empty one." The lanky driver answered with a grin.

"How are we going to convince the Germans that this officer was in it?" Hitch asked again. Troy was staring past Tully, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Captain, is there any chance we could call in an airstrike?"

Captain Boggs looked from one man to another; all of them were watching him expectantly. The more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea sounded.

"Where and when Sergeant?"

Troy shrugged. "We won't know that until we get our hands on that officer. We'll only need one plane and hopefully only one bomb." Troy was considering the possibilities. "It might be better if we made it look like he got killed in one of his own staff cars. They might question which jeep he was in, but, if they thought he got away in his car and then got killed, they might buy it."

"Good." Hitchcock smiled in relief. "I hate to blow up a perfectly good jeep."

"I got to admit, that part bothered me too." Tully added. Moffitt laughed at the two drivers as they grinned happily.

"I'll see what I can do Sergeant. You boys get some sleep, I'll get back to you before you pull out in the morning."

The four men nodded absently. Troy was still looking at the map while the other three watched silently. Moffitt looked up to meet the eyes of the two privates and smiled at them. They nodded solemnly and waited for Troy to explain the plan. None of them doubted for even a moment that he would come up with a plan to complete the mission.

With a final nod he backed away from the table and saluted the Captain. Leading the way, he left the tent, trailed by the other three.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Special Delivery Raid**

BY: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"What has Lt. von Strom been doing with his time?" Captain Dietrich had called Lt. Reitter into his office for the daily report.

"Once again he has spent most of his day in his quarters Sir. Other than coming out for meals, he seems to stay in his room all the time. No one has seen him other than at meal times."

"Has he taken over any of his duties?"

"No Captain. According to the other officers he has been complaining of being sick since his arrival. He claims he is unable to perform his duties."

"I see." The Captain crossed to his window to stare out the window at the activity outside. Lieutenant von Strom's failure to assume his duties set a bad example for the rest of the men; something would have to be done about the situation. Turning back to the lieutenant, he softened his expression. "Thank you Lieutenant, I appreciate your help in this matter."

"Captain, perhaps he really is sick. I passed his room on my way to my own last night and I could have sworn I heard him groaning in his sleep."

"Perhaps Lieutenant, I will check on him later. Is the base ready for the upcoming inspection?"

"Yes Sir." The young officer seemed relieved at the change of topics. "The men are working on clearing the area around the civilian sector at present. They are clearing the alleys of garbage and blockages. The vehicles have all been checked and serviced in preparation for the inspection."

"Excellent Lieutenant. The inspectors will arrive sometime the day after tomorrow. I want everyone on their best behavior. Are the quarters for the column ready for occupancy?"

"Yes Sir, ready and waiting for whenever they arrive."

"Good Lieutenant, everyone has done an exemplary job. Keep me informed; I don't want any surprises at the last minute." He dismissed the junior officer and watched through the window as the young man hurried across the compound. Again he compared the two lieutenants and he found himself very disappointed that his old mentor would have been ashamed of the son he'd raised; Lieutenant von Strom was not making any effort to uphold his fathers' excellent example.

Captain Dietrich finished his paperwork for the day, a job he hated with a passion. Stalling, he waited until after he'd had his lunch to do as he promised, checking on Lt. von Strom.

The lieutenant's quarters were silent as he approached the door. He knocked, not really expecting an answer. To his surprise, the door swung open with enough force for the doorknob to leave a mark on the wall.

"What is it?" Lt. von Strom swayed unsteadily in the doorway. His uniform was crumpled like he'd slept in it; although from the looks of his eyes, the Captain had to wonder if he'd slept at all. A glass, half full of an amber liquid, was still clutched in his fist.

Dietrich eyed him coldly before nodding at the glass. "Perhaps it would be better if you put that down."

Lt. von Strom stared at him drunkenly. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. Aren't you supposed to be on duty?" Dietrich watched as his junior officer looked down at the glass in his hand before putting the cup to his lips and emptying the contents.

"I'm sick Captain, not fit for duty."

"At least we agree on one point."

The Lieutenant looked down at his empty glass. Wobbling as he went, he walked over to his night table and attempted to place the glass on the table. His hands were shaking so badly that he missed the table altogether, sending the glass crashing to the floor. "Darn, that was my only glass." He considered the broken fragments for a moment, "I guess I'll just have to drink out of the bottle." He reached for the nearly empty bottle on his table.

The Captain shot a hand out to grab the lieutenant by the arm. Pulling his arm away from the bottle, Dietrich used the other hand to move the bottle out of reach. "I don't think you need any more of this lieutenant."

"Oh but I do Captain. In fact, I don't think that that little bit will be nearly enough." The young soldier assured him with a definite slur of his words. Turning toward his bags, still unpacked on the floor, he proceeded to pull another bottle from the tangle of belongings stuffed inside.

Dietrich lunged forward, snatching that bottle too; knocking the lieutenant off balance as he pulled the bottle from his hand.

The lieutenant fell backwards and landed on his backside on the floor. He stared at the Captain owlishly, a befuddled look on his face.

"You have had enough Lieutenant." Dietrich informed him in a frigid tone.

"Really Captain, doesn't a condemned man have a right to get good and drunk before he dies?" The young officer stared at the Captain with tears in his eyes, waiting for an answer.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

"I can do this Troy."

Sam Troy watched the British sergeant as he buttoned the German jacket over the German officer's uniform he already wore.

"Once I find out which tent belongs to Colonel Berkheimer I'll signal you. Then I'll keep the guards busy while you sneak in and whisk him out the back. Tully and Hitch can cover you until you're clear. Once you get him to the jeep, signal me, and I'll join you at the wadi where we separated. By the time they realize he's missing we will be miles away, giving us time to set up plans for his supposed 'death'.

"It sounds so easy." Troy growled uneasily.

"It is." Moffitt assured him with a smile.

"Don't get cocky Doctor, there are a lot of things that could go wrong." The American sergeant cautioned.

Moffitt sobered immediately. "I know that Troy, but we agreed, this is the fastest and easiest way."

"Fastest and easiest, but not the safest."

"Headquarters wants fast, they don't care about safe." Moffitt reminded him. Headquarters had sent a message demanding quick results when they had agreed to the air strike.

"Then let them come out here and do it." Troy grumbled angrily. Moffitt waited silently until Troy finally nodded. "Okay, okay, let's shake it. I want to be long gone before he's missed."

Troy, Hitch and Tully hid in the hills above the German camp and watched as Jack Moffitt drove his captured staff car into the camp below. The British sergeant was immediately surrounded by guards pointing rifles at him menacingly. Maintaining his calm, the fake lieutenant ordered the guards to lower their weapons. With forged papers in hand, he asked to speak with the commander of the column.

An imposing figure in the uniform of a captain examined his papers carefully. He grilled the sergeant on his orders repeatedly. Expecting this, Moffitt had his cover story fabricated and memorized. He lied smoothly, never flinching from the sharp inspection of the officer.

As Troy and the privates watched, Moffitt was handed his papers and led to a big tent in the middle of the encampment.

"Great." Hitchcock grumbled. "He would have to be in a tent right in the middle of everything."

"Moffitt hasn't signaled yet." Tully spoke around his matchstick. "Maybe that's not the Colonels tent."

"Maybe we need to stay alert and pay attention." Troy growled. He glared at both privates who immediately fell silent.

"He's coming out!" Tully whispered a few minutes later. Troy and Hitch crawled closer to Tully to see Moffitt duck through the tent entrance. A major followed him out and led the way to another tent, this one closer to the back of the camp, near the rear perimeter.

There was a pause in front of the tent and then the major and Moffitt disappeared inside. Just before he ducked through the flap of the doorway, Moffitt signaled that this was the tent they were seeking.

Troy tensed, waiting for an alarm to sound. The camp remained calm. The sergeant gripped his machine gun tighter and slid backwards off the hill. "Let's go. We need to be ready when Moffitt distracts the guards."

Both privates followed quietly, keeping alert for sentries; they carried their rifles in one hand and knives in the other.

Cautiously the three men circled the camp to get behind the tent where Moffitt had disappeared. They skirted the guards they encountered in favor of staying undiscovered. The guards might be missed earlier than the Colonel, especially if the officer had already turned in for the night. They crept as close to the Colonels tent as they dared and settled down to wait for Moffitt to distract the guards. Crouching in the darkness, they listened as the voices rumbled inside the tent.

Not for the first time, Troy wished he spoke German. He could hear the conversation but he had no idea what was being said. At least Moffitt still sounded calm and confident. Troy glanced to his right and left to find the privates keeping a sharp eye out for any German soldiers. Satisfied that they would alert him in the event of any trouble, he concentrated on listening to the tone of the conversation. He tapped both privates on the arm as Moffitt stepped out of the tent.

The major spoke to Moffitt briefly before walking away. Moffitt watched him leave before engaging the guards in front of the tent in an animated conversation.

Troy rose from his hiding place and made his way to the back of the tent. Using his razor sharp knife, he began to make a slit in the canvas fabric. The slight sound he made was covered by the voices outside. With the hole halfway completed, Troy froze at a sound from inside. Grateful for the darkness of the night, he knew no moonlight would shine through to give him away. Without moonlight there were also no shadows on the tent wall. The sound inside moved toward the front entrance and Troy heard someone call to Moffitt.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Troy finished his entrance hole and slid into the tent. Finding a piece of tall furniture to hide behind, he waited for the Colonel to return to his quarters. As the Colonel finished his conversation with Moffitt and turned back to his bed, Troy struck. The heavy officer fell without a sound, leaving Troy with the task of carrying his large body to the jeeps. The sergeant grunted as the officers weight settled over his shoulder. He staggered out of the tent and up into the small clump of trees behind the tent. Tully and Hitch took the weight from him and helped slip the limp officer past the German guards. They tied him securely and gagged him before depositing him in the rear of Troy's' jeep. Tully imitated the call of a desert insect, letting Moffitt know that they were ready.

Tense and ready to run, they waited for Moffitt to leave the camp. They heard a car start; it sounded like the staff car that Moffitt had used to enter the camp. Troy gave a nod and Hitch and Tully hit the starters on their vehicles. As the quiet motors purred to life they heard the first shouts, followed by the sound of gunfire. The jeeps jumped forward as both privates prepared to rush to the British sergeant's aid.

With a silent but heartfelt curse, Troy yelled 'hit it' and directed his men to leave their fellow 'rat' behind. There were no more gunshots as the two little vehicles raced out into the desert with their stolen cargo.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

Hans Dietrich stared at his junior officer in confusion. "What are you talking about Lieutenant? I would never intentionally send a man to his death." He grasped the lieutenant by the arm and led him to a seat on the bed. "I may not be happy with you Lieutenant, but I have by no means 'condemned you to death'."

"Then I will be transferred somewhere else where the commanding officer is not so generous." The young officer answered with conviction. "I was sent here to die. If you won't make it possible, then the Nazis will find someone else to do it for them."

"Nonsense Lieutenant, that is the drink talking." Dietrich set both bottles on the floor and took a seat on the mattress next to the drunken youth.

"No," the other man slurred, "They don't want me to tell anyone." He shook his head unsteadily. "I talk too much…Especially when I drink." The Lieutenant grinned humorlessly. "And now I drink too much too….or maybe not enough. No, ….definitely not enough. Even the drink cannot make me forget. It can't wash the images from my head. They want me dead so I can' tell anyone what I saw." A sob escaped from the tortured lad and his eyes filled with tears.

"Tell me Lieutenant." Dietrich ordered in a gentle tone. He carefully pushed the bottles further under the bed with the heel of his boot. "What did you see that was so terrible? What would be so horrible that they would risk killing the son of a decorated Colonel to keep him quiet?"

"The camps."

The Captain struggled to understand but the two word answer was too vague. "What camps?"

The Lieutenant started to shake his head. The motion set his head to spinning and he was forced to grab on to something to catch his balance; he chose Captain Dietrich. The desperate way that he clung to his arm convinced the Captain as no words could have that the Lieutenant really did fear for his life. "I've been ordered not to talk about it."

"Come now Lieutenant, I am your commanding officer. If I am to send you to your death, I prefer to understand the reasoning behind the order."

Through blurry, tear-filled eyes, the young officer studied his commander. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe the guilt, but he forgot his earlier orders and began to tell the Captain the story.

"I was assigned to work in the camps where they are sending all the Jews." He paused to look closely at Dietrich. "You do know that they are rounding up all the Jews and arresting them?"

The Captain nodded silently, biting his lip to hold back his true feelings.

"They load them on to trains, packed together like animals, and take them to these camps. Once there they are sorted and assigned to different tasks. I was stationed at Auschwitz for a time. A Dr. Rascher arrived to conduct some experiments on the prisoners."

Dread filled Dietrich but he brushed it aside to get to the facts. "What kind of experiments?"

"Cruel ones. Inhuman ones. Experiments that no man should ever have to endure." The Lieutenant shook at the thought and his eyes became glassy as he lost himself in the memories.

Dietrich was about to ask another question when Lt. von Strom continued.

"They chose the strong, healthy males. They would strap them to a stretcher, naked, and leave them outside to freeze. Some of them they placed naked in vats of icy water."

"Why?"

"They wanted to see how long it took for the cold to incapacitate them. They fitted them with thermometers to keep track of their body temperature. Many of them died during the tests. Our troops are suffering from the cold on the Eastern Front and the high command wants to find a way to deal with the problem. They are using the prisoners to test their theories."

"How does that help our troops?"

"Once the subjects are frozen, they try different ways of warming them. That is just as cruel as the freezing. Some were placed in vats of hot water, some of it boiling, but all of those died from the treatment." The Lieutenant turned haunted eyes to his Captain. "They tried sun lamps but they killed the test subjects too. The Doctor decided that they were warming up too fast and going into shock. There were other methods tried, even more terrible and painful." The Lieutenant went into great detail, causing Dietrich to turn away in shock. "They finally decided, after hundreds of deaths, that warming them slowly in warm, not hot, water, was the best method. I thought the experiments would end there, but no… they just started a whole new set of tests. Each one is more horrible than the last. I couldn't take it anymore Captain. The only crime those people could be accused of committing was of being born who they were. I asked for a transfer…and I started drinking. Now they want me dead."

"I'm sorry Lieutenant. I can't imagine what it must have been like."

"No Captain, you can't. Those who are too weak to work, or not needed for any other reason, are sent to huge chambers where they are murdered with gas; thousands of them every week Captain. It makes me ashamed to be a German." The Captain watched the Lieutenant struggle for control of his emotions. His next words sent shivers down the Captains spine. "Don't repeat any of this to anyone Captain. If they find out that you know, they'll want you dead too. That's why I have to die…I talk too much."

"Or perhaps not enough." Dietrich whispered into the silence as Lt. von Strom passed out onto the bed. His ragged snores echoed off the walls as the Captain picked the bottles up off the floor and left the room.

He paused outside long enough to empty both bottles onto the ground before tossing the empties into a trash receptacle. He ignored the enlisted men who eyed the amber liquid longingly. With one last glance behind him , he headed for his own quarters and the bottle he kept in his own cabinet. Replaying the Lieutenants words in his head, he began to wonder if maybe he had been a bit hasty in disposing of the alcohol.

Entering the building that housed his headquarters, he issued orders that Lt. von Strom not be disturbed. Calling for , he paced his office, forcing himself to stay away from the bottle in his quarters. He was still pacing when Lt. Reitter arrived and was ushered into his office.

The Lieutenant watched the Captain pace back and forth. His commanding officers obvious agitation was something he had never witnessed before so he elected to remain quiet until the Captain broke the silence. The moments ticked by as the senior officer continued to pace. Finally the Captain came to a halt in front of the window, staring out.

"Lieutenant Reitter, I want you to keep an eye on Lieutenant von Strom."

"Yes Sir, I have been Sir, just as you ordered." Lt. Reitter answered in confusion.

"No Lieutenant." Dietrich turned to face his junior officer. "I want you to watch him. I 'm worried that the lieutenant might try to harm himself."

Understanding dawned on the officers face. "Yes Sir."

"If you see anything at all that you consider to be of concern, I want to be informed immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir."

"Night or day Lieutenant." The Captain said in a stern tone. "And Lieutenant…keep him away from alcohol."

"Yes Sir."

"Lieutenant," Dietrich softened his voice, "Thank you."

The lieutenant nodded silently and saluted. He left the room with a deeper respect for a commanding officer who worried about the health of his men. Determined not to disappoint the Captain, he went in search of Lt. von Strom.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

The column rolled into his base mid-day, interrupting the usual routine of his troops. Capt. Dietrich strode out to meet the columns commander to offer him the conveniences of the base and a cool drink.

A major climbed out of the first halftrack and immediately began to issue orders to his men. They swarmed around the first truck in line with rifles ready. Dietrich watched as a dirty, disheveled figure in a German lieutenants uniform was pulled from the rear of the vehicle. His hands were tied behind his back and he appeared to be leaning on his captors for support. As the prisoner was spun around Dietrich caught his breath; he recognized the battered face of Sergeant Jack Moffitt. Schooling his features, he waited for the group to approach him.

"Captain Dietrich?"

The Captain nodded and saluted, his eyes on the prisoner.

"Where are your cells Captain?"

"Lieutenant Reitter can show your men the way Major." He motioned the lieutenant forward. "Show these men where they can put their prisoner." The Lieutenant nodded and led the way toward their detainment center. Dietrich watched them go with a thoughtful look on his face. "Perhaps we could step into my office Major, it's cooler in there and I have some cold water to drink." It was on the tip of his tongue to offer the Major something stronger, but there was an aire about the Major he didn't like; he decided to save his brandy for another time.

"Thank you Captain, we need to talk anyway, your office will do fine." The Major brushed past to enter the building first.

"I trust that your trip so far has been pleasant." Dietrich offered as he poured two glasses of cold water.

"No Captain, it hasn't been at all pleasant." The Major growled irritably. "This d…. heat is unbearable! The sand gets into everything and there are no decent amenities for miles and miles. To make matters worse, our camp was attacked and Colonel Berkheimer was spirited away only last night."

Startled, Dietrich looked up at the glaring face of the Major. "By whom?"

"We don't know yet, but our prisoner is going to tell us. So far he has denied knowing anything, but we will make him talk."

"What makes you think he had anything to do with it?" Dietrich asked cautiously; he wasn't sure if the Major realized just who he had captured.

"He showed up at our camp last night and ask to speak with the Colonel. The Colonel was taken while he was still in the camp. He was arrested as soon as the disappearance was discovered."

"If he were involved wouldn't it have made more sense for him to leave before the Colonel was missed? If that had been me, I would have left in all haste before anyone noticed the kidnapping." Dietrich was aware of how the Rat Patrol operated and this seemed careless of them.

"He tried, but one of my officers had stopped him to ask an innocent question about the desert. It delayed him long enough for the Colonels absence to be discovered." The Major seemed enraged about the abduction. "Those clumsy fools on guard never saw or heard a thing."

"Perhaps it was the Arabs Major, they move very quietly and there are those who will steal anything of value."

"Really Captain, you think the Colonel was of value to an Arab?"

"They have been known to hold officers, especially high ranking ones, for ransom." The Captain explained his view of the matter.

The Major watched him for a moment before he placed his empty glass on the desk. "We will find out Captain, the lieutenant will tell us what we want to know."

It took a moment for Dietrich to remember that the lieutenant mentioned was actually Sergeant Moffitt. "I will have my staff find quarters for you and your men Major. The base is ready for inspection at your convenience." The Captain placed his own glass on the desk as he turned away, hiding his expression. "The evening meal will be served shortly, I'm sure that you and your men are hungry."

The Major nodded, "We drove straight through after having our breakfast. I wanted to get here so we could organize search parties to look for the Colonel as soon as possible."

"Of course." The Captain agreed graciously before excusing himself to make the arrangements." He returned to his office a short time later to find the Major sitting in his chair reading his daily reports.

The Major looked up as he entered but didn't offer to move from the chair. "Captain, do you have a Lieutenant von Strom here?"

"Yes." Dietrich admitted warily. "He arrived just recently with a group of new replacements. He hasn't yet begun his duties because apparently the desert heat does not agree with him."

"I have orders to take him off your hands Captain." The Major informed him without looking up from the reports. "What is this Rat Patrol that is mentioned in these reports?"

"The Rat Patrol is an Allied commando team that operates in the area. They are very elusive and extremely destructive. We have been trying, unsuccessfully I admit, to capture them for some time." Dietrich kept his answers to the point, wondering where the questions were leading.

"Send Lt. von Strom after them." The Major ordered calmly. "Make sure he understands that he must not return until he can report their capture or death." The Major looked up at Dietrich with cold, hard eyes. "One patrol car and two more men should be enough to capture four men in two jeeps, don't you agree Captain?"

"I told you Major, they are not easily caught." The Captain argued without passion. "Three men in one car would have no chance."

"I disagree Captain, one of our soldiers is easily worth two or three of the enemy. See that you follow my instructions to the letter."

"Yes Sir." the Captain agreed meekly.

"Now we need to send out search parties for the Colonel. Send a report to headquarters and inform them that you have lost him." The Major issued the order and dared Dietrich to dispute the details.

"As you wish Major." The Captain called to his staff to make all the arrangements for the search details. The radio message was sent, carefully worded, saying that the Captain was reporting the loss of the Colonel and noting the date of the columns arrival and the date of the Colonels disappearance. All non-essential personnel were assigned to help look for the missing officer.

While the Major rested in his newly assigned quarters Dietrich went in search of Lieutenant von Strom.

"You were looking for me Captain?" Lt. von Strom approached from behind the motor pool as Dietrich walked past. Dietrich quickly motioned him to duck into an alley, out of sight of the men going about their business. He noted with relief that the young officer looked much more presentable than he had at their last meeting.

"Lieutenant, do you know Colonel Berkheimer, or his aide, Major Roush?"

The lieutenant hung his head. "I've heard of them Captain. I was told that they would come for me. They are here to make sure that I am killed in battle so my father will not suspect that they ordered my death."

"Do you remember anything we talked about the other night in your quarters?" Dietrich kept his voice low.

"I was drunk Captain." The youth reminded him. "You do not want to get involved any more than necessary. Anything I may have said is better forgotten."

"I'm afraid that that is not an option for either of us Lieutenant. The best we can do is use caution in repeating what we know." Hoping that the boy understood his veiled meaning, Dietrich pushed him further into the alley. Glancing around, he made sure that they were alone. "I have orders to send you after the Rat Patrol. Under the circumstances, it is a death sentence."

"I believe I told you that I would be sent to my death." The lieutenant replied dryly in a whisper. "Who are they?"

"A highly successful commando team that the Major suspects may have kidnapped the Colonel. They have been seen in the area. They'll kill you if you try to capture them."

"Could they have kidnapped the Colonel?"

"I believe it is a very good possibility." Dietrich gripped the lieutenant's arm tightly. "They are deadly Lieutenant and your orders are not to return until you have killed or captured all of them."

"I understand Captain." The lieutenant answered sadly, dropping his head. "I am sorry to drag you into this….Captain, could you do me a favor?"

"Of course Lieutenant, what is it?"

"Could you write to my father? I think he will take the news of my death better coming from a respected officer rather than from the Nazi party."

"I will write to him Lieutenant. I will even visit him the very next chance I get….I will visit and tell him the truth."

"No!" Lt. von Strom exclaimed. "Do not involve him! He will try to avenge my death."

"No, he won't Lieutenant, because I think I know of a way to keep you alive."

The young officer stared at his commander in surprise. "Why would you risk your life and your career for me?"

"Not for you Lieutenant, at least not only you. I owe your father a debt for his help while I served under him. I also happen to agree with you, those camps are inhuman and the truth needs to be known."

"But how Captain? These orders will assure that I die, you said so yourself. If those commandos are as good as you say, I will not be returning."

"Exactly." Dietrich nodded.

"I don't understand."

"You are not going to come back Lieutenant, at least not until this war is over. There may be a way to get you sent to America under the protection of the American army."

"How Captain?"

"I need to make some arrangements Lieutenant. Keep all of this to yourself, tell no one. You have your orders, I will assign you a patrol car and the men who will accompany you. Wait until I get back to you with further instructions before you leave the base."

The lieutenant nodded uncertainly, afraid to hope that there might be a way to survive. It seemed such an unlikely scenario. The two men parted and left the alley in different directions to avoid attracting attention; both of them lost in their own thoughts. 


	7. Chapter 7

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

"Good afternoon Sergeant." Dietrich stood in front of the cell and faced Sergeant Moffitt. Still in a German uniform, the Major had not yet realized that he had caught a British commando; he thought he had caught a traitor plotting against the German command. Dietrich sent the guard further down the hall to watch the entrance to the building.

"Captain." Moffitt acknowledged cautiously.

"I see that you have changed sides." He looked pointedly at the German uniform that Moffitt still wore. "Was it for the promotion?"

The sergeant gave Dietrich a mischievous smile before responding. "It got me a nice quiet room all to myself. You should try it sometime."

"I think not Sergeant, the quiet is deceiving. You are about to get some rather unpleasant company. The Major thinks you have some information that he wants."

The British commando nodded silently.

The Captain glanced toward the guard to see if he was keeping a sharp eye on the entrance.

"You are taking them rather young aren't you Captain?" Moffitt eyed the guard.

"He's sixteen Sergeant. The last son of a widow who has three young daughters at home to raise. If he dies in this war, she'll be all alone with no man to help support them." The Captains voice betrayed his sadness and frustration.

"That's too bad Captain. This war is as hard on those left at home as it is on those who have to fight it. I would like to help but as you can see, I have very little control over what happens to anyone at the moment."

Dietrich glanced at the guard again and lowered his voice as he stepped closer to the cell door. "Actually Sergeant, that is why I am here. I don't have much time to explain so please listen carefully." He glanced nervously toward the guard. "I have a deal for you. I would be willing to facilitate your escape if you would do something for me."

'Really Captain, I'm listening." Moffitt answered politely. He didn't try to hide his distrust of the 'deal'.

Dietrich ignored the sarcasm in favor of talking quickly. "I have a lieutenant who is in trouble. If he doesn't get away from here he will be killed. He has certain information that the Nazi party does not want widely known. They are willing to kill him to keep their secret." He watched Moffitt for any indication that he understood the importance of the information. "He has seen things that disturb him." Dietrich shivered as he remembered the details. "He is willing to share this information with the Allies if they will guarantee his safety."

"What is it you think I can do to prevent his death?"

"You could speak to your commanders and to Sergeant Troy."

"I don't understand Captain, what does this have to do with Troy?"

Dietrich sighed. "The Lieutenant has been ordered to kill or capture the Rat Patrol. His orders state that he is not to return until he has killed or captured your entire team." Dietrich smiled at the expression on the sergeants face. "Don't worry Sergeant, your friends are in very little actual danger, the Lieutenant is being sent after them in one patrol car with only two other men to help. The Major feels that one German is worth three Allied soldiers. If he were to actually accomplish his stated task, he would truly be a hero; as it is, he will die a hero and make his father proud." Dietrich let his tone drip with anger.

"Three men and one car," Moffitt mused. "Troy's got him outnumbered by one vehicle."

"And plenty of experience, not to mention firepower." Dietrich added. "The Major has ordered me to send two of my youngest men and only rifles for the task."

"Suicide by the enemy." Moffitt said thoughtfully.

"Exactly Sergeant. I am sending young Hubert here," He indicated the guard, "and another boy who is only seventeen. I don't wish to send them to their death at such a young age."

Moffitt didn't ask the Captain to explain that remark. He was beginning to think that they might be able to work something out that would benefit both sides. "So I escape, they chase me, and Troy captures them? He looked to Dietrich for confirmation.

"I would need your word that you would do everything in your power to assure their safety." The Captain stared at the prisoner intently.

"I can't promise anything more Captain. I will do my best to help them, but as you know, things happen. I am sure that Troy would go along with the idea if I could get to him in time, but I can't say what our commanders will do."

Dietrich nodded, relief plain on his face. "That is all I could ask Sergeant. It is all anyone could expect of you." He hesitated as he stared at the wall behind Moffitt. "I think your commanders would be very interested in the information that the lieutenant has, perhaps he could make a deal for his protection."

Moffitt smiled. "I'll see what I can do Captain."

Dietrich focused his attention on the British sergeant again. Reaching into his shirt, he produced a .45 and passed it through the bars. "Almost all of my available men are preparing to join the search for a Colonel who went missing last night."

Moffitt kept his expression neutral.

"The base will be practically deserted. There is a staff car behind this building waiting to be repaired. The hood is up to indicate that it is not in running condition. Actually there is nothing wrong with the car and it is armored for your protection. The guard will change half an hour from now. I will assign Hubert and another youth to Lt. von Strom for his detail. I will keep them here until I hear the alarm that announces your escape, then I will send them after you and the others…. Take care of them Sergeant." The last was added in a softer tone, barely audible.

Moffitt bit his lip as he accepted the responsibility of looking out for the safety of the three you men. With a sigh Dietrich nodded at the prisoner and walked to the end of the hall. He spoke a few words to the young guard, who looked nervously at Moffitt, and then he was gone.

The boy stayed where he was for several minutes, watching after the Captain. After a while he nervously approached the cell. "You will do this for us?"

Moffitt nodded before answering the boy in his own language. "Yes, I will help. My own brother was killed in this war, he was sixteen, like you. I have promised your Captain to do all that I can." The boy nodded and turned away to return to his post.

"Will the Captain get in trouble if I escape after he visited me?"

The boy turned back with a grin. "No. The Captain was very careful. The only ones who saw him are the same ones who are going with Lt. von Strom. No one else knows he came here." The pride in his commanding officer was obvious in the gleam in his eyes as he mentioned Captain Dietrich.

"Good. Then we do this and everyone gets to live."

The boy nodded in agreement and returned to his post. A half hour later his relief arrived and he left without a backward glance.

Moffitt relaxed in his cot as he listened to the sounds of the search parties preparing to leave. He heard the vehicles departing in a steady stream of troops looking for the Colonel. He fell into a light doze as he waited for the right time to escape.

The guard approaching his cell woke him. Keys rattled in the lock and the door swung open. Moffitt opened his eyes to see Major Roush standing in front of the cell. The big German officer stared at him without speaking. Moffitt returned the stare as he slowly climbed to his feet.

"Have you reconsidered your decision to remain quiet?"

The prisoner stared at him silently.

"I guess not." Major Roush smiled. "You can save yourself a great deal of pain." His tone suggested that he hoped the prisoner would refuse to talk.

"I don't know anything Major, I told you, I had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Colonel. I was talking to one of your officers when the Colonel was kidnapped."

"I was hoping you would say that." The Major replied with a cold smile. With a look of anticipation, he approached Moffitt.

Moffitt watched the guard return to the other end of the hall, leaving him alone with the Major. He considered reaching for the .45 that Dietrich had given him but he was wary of tipping his enemy to Dietrich's involvement. The Major swung a ham-like fist at his midsection. Moffitt dodged the blow and took a swing at the Major; his fist connected with a bone jarring thud. The Major shook his head and roared in anger. He lunged at the smaller man, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing tightly. The sergeant fought for air, pushing and pulling at the thick arms surrounding him. Throwing his head forward, he smashed the Majors nose with his forehead. The Major responded by tightening his grip, forcing even more air out of the sergeants lungs. Moffatt's vision started to go grey as his body reacted to the lack of oxygen. The Major felt the sergeants body going slack and took the opportunity to shift his grip. As soon as Moffitt felt the grip loosen he twisted an arm free. Using the fingers of his free hand, he gouged at the bigger man's eyes, dragging his nails down the Germans face. The Major released him to reach for his face and Moffitt slammed his hands over the big Germans ears, shattering his eardrums.

The guard, hearing the Major roar in pain, ran for the cell. Seeing the Major grappling with the prisoner, he put the key in the lock and opened the door. Rushing inside, he tried to club the prisoner with his rifle.

Moffitt ducked the rifle and reached for his bunk where the .45 was hidden. Feeling the guns grip in his fingers, he swung at the guard. The heavy weight of the .45 connected with the guard's temple, dropping him instantly. He twisted and hit the Major across the head too. As the big man fell, Moffitt gratefully sat on his bunk.

Sucking in huge gulps of air, Moffitt bent at the waist and lowered his head to clear his vision. As his breathing returned to normal, he began to think of escape. Using the belts of both men, he tied them together back to back. He gagged them securely and collected their weapons. Picking up the keys, he gave them one final glance before he locked the door and walked out of the building.

As Dietrich had promised, the base was nearly deserted with guards few and far between. The staff car was exactly where he had said it would be too. It started on the first try and ran smoothly, drawing a sigh from Moffitt. Placing the rifle he had taken from the guard on the passenger seat, he drove directly to the front gate. Since he had no papers, he slowed at the gate to let the guard think he was stopping, then he hit the gas and raced past the startled sentry. They dodged the fast moving car as he made his escape into the darkness outside the gate.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 8

"Moffitt!"

The two jeeps pulled out of a wadi to meet the staff car. Jack Moffitt slowed the car as his friends pulled alongside.

"Troy, we need to talk!"

"Not now Moffitt, you have a patrol car on your heels. We'll take care of that and then we can find a place to talk." Troy gave Hitchcock the signal to move out, while Tully stopped next to the staff car to allow Moffitt to take his place behind the 50.

"Troy, the patrol car is with me!" Moffitt called to Troy, stopping him from leaving.

Sam Troy turned a grit covered face toward the British sergeant. "With you? What do you mean, with you?" He stared at Moffitt as if he thought he'd gone loco.

"It's a long story Troy, but we need to take the occupants alive and unharmed if possible, I promised."

Troy glanced to where the patrol car was fast approaching. "So what do we do, just step out and ask them to lay down their weapons?" He impatiently glared at the other sergeant, and to his surprise, Moffitt smiled and climbed out of his car.

"Actually, that's exactly what I think we should do."

Troy snorted as the two privates exchanged worried glances.

"Moffitt!...Moffitt! Don't do anything crazy!" Troy called to his friend as the British sergeant began to walk back the way he'd come. Hitch started the jeep forward and drove alongside the man on foot. Troy gripped the handle of the 50 and prayed that Moffitt knew what he was doing.

Moffitt held his hands out to show that they were empty. He frowned at Hitch as the jeep kept pace with him. The blond chewed furiously on his gum and ignored the frown, instead watching the patrol car, ready to react at a moment's notice.

The patrol car stopped at the sight of the armed jeeps heading toward them.

Hubert, at the wheel, glanced nervously toward Lt. von Strom in the passenger seat. The second private raised his rifle in self-defense.

"No!" Lt. von Strom shouted. Turning in his seat, he pushed the barrel of the gun skyward.

"But they're armed!" The boy shouted in alarm.

"The Captain trusts them to keep their word." The Lieutenant assured him in a soothing tone. "We have to trust Captain Dietrich's judgement." The private stared at him, scared and shaking. "It's alright private, Captain Dietrich has arranged this to keep you safe so you can take care of your family after the war. Trust him. All we have to do is follow orders." The steady, calm tone of his lieutenant finally had its effect on the boy; he lowered the rifle in response. The lieutenant turned back to find himself staring down the barrels of two 50 caliber machine guns. The two Americans behind the guns looked more than ready to open fire if provoked. "It's alright Sergeant, he's just frightened." Lt. von Strom called to Moffitt while staring at Troy and Tully behind the big guns.

"Troy, he was scared, it's alright now." Moffitt stepped toward the patrol car, ignoring the guns pointed in that direction. "Hand me your weapons Lieutenant. I haven't had enough time to explain the situation to my friends so they are understandably tense." Moffitt reached for the weapon that the private had lowered.

The boy pointed the rifle at his head and tensed.

Moffitt froze. "Private," he said in German, "this is a really bad idea." He raised a hand to tell Troy and the others to wait. "Captain Dietrich told me we had a deal. I will keep my end if you keep yours. Drop the weapon Private, or believe me, you will die here today."

Lt. von Strom moved his head to talk to the private, keeping his hands in plain view and his body still. "Private, think of your family. Think of Captain Dietrich, he risked everything to help you; would you shame him by going back on your word?" The private faltered, his gaze going to Hubert, who nodded slowly. The rifle barrel slowly dropped until it pointed at the ground. With tears in his eyes, the young private allowed Moffitt to take the weapon. He turned toward the guns and braced for what was to come, he'd heard the propaganda of the way the enemy treated prisoners. His eyes opened wide in surprise when the 'infamous' commandos lowered their weapons and smiled; it was not the reaction he had expected.

"Okay Jack, you have them, now what?" Troy and Hitch had helped search the prisoners and their vehicles for hidden weapons while Tully kept watch.

"Now we go home. I promised Dietrich that I would get these boys housed in some nice safe POW camp for the duration."

"Dietrich?"

"Yes. He offered to help me escape if I would promise to try to keep these three safe for the duration of the war. Apparently the Lieutenant has some very interesting information that we might be able to trade for his protection."

"What kind of information?"

"I have no idea Troy, but if the look in the Captains eyes is any indication, I think I prefer to let G-2 ask that question."

Troy studied the lieutenant sitting next to his car with his two boy privates. There was a haunted look in the officer's eyes that gave Troy pause. "Okay Moffitt, we do this your way. Let's get out of here, or do you have some more who want to surrender?" He grinned at the other sergeant, glad to have him back.

"No, no more, and I'm quite happy to get out of here. Do we leave the staff car?"

Troy almost said yes, determined not to split his little band again, but then he remembered the prisoners. "Can one of them drive it?" He nodded toward the three Germans sitting on the ground.

Moffitt shrugged, "We can ask."

The two jeeps pulled out first, followed by the patrol car with Hubert at the wheel. The second private followed in the staff car with Lt. von Strom in the passenger seat.

Hitchcock led the way to the wadi where they had hidden Colonel Berkheimer. Their main captive was still sleeping peacefully from the drugs they had given him to keep him quiet. As they pulled up to the shelter and the Colonel was pulled into the open, both German privates gasp in surprise.

"Has the Colonel surrendered too?" Asked Hubert.

Moffitt laughed at the question and turned to Troy to translate. To his surprise, Troy didn't laugh, his face got serious and he turned to look at Dietrich's three men. "What's wrong Troy?"

"Nothing, just thinking of something." He continued to stare at the three Germans. "Moffitt, what will happen after the war if the Colonel tells everyone that these three were cooperating with us?"

Moffitt looked at Troy in alarm, then he looked at the three men in question. "If the Colonel says they were collaborators, they could be killed or at the very least be disgraced."

"We could keep the Colonel drugged Sarge." Mark Hitchcock had heard the conversation between his sergeants.

"We could, but there still might be rumors that we couldn't control. He might hear things after we turn him over to the MPs."

"So why not start our own rumor?"

"Our saying that they weren't collaborators is not going to carry much weight." Troy explained to his driver.

"But what if we started a rumor that the Colonel was a collaborator? There was this girl that used to be friends with my sister. Another girl was spreading a rumor that she was sleeping around, turns out the one spreading the rumor was the one sleeping around. Once that got out, no one believed her stories about my sister's friend." He looked around at the faces watching him, "what if everyone thought that the Colonel was the collaborator?"

Troy grinned. "That's not a bad idea. What do you think Moffitt, would it work?"

"If they all return to Germany after the war and the Colonel accuses them of collaborating, it would carry a lot of weight. If the Colonel were to be accused first, they might consider it an attempt to shift the blame. " Moffitt smiled, "It just might work."

"Ask the Lieutenant what he thinks of the idea, after all, it's their necks at stake." Troy suggested.

The Lieutenant appeared confused at first but then he started to smile. He had to explain the consequences to the two privates but they soon began nodding their heads in agreement.

"He likes the idea Troy." Moffitt translated.

"I sort of got that from their reaction." The other sergeant grinned. "We'll run it past headquarters but I don't see where they would have a problem with it."

"Well Troy, I think it's time we call in our airstrike and kill off our prisoners. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go home." Moffitt moved to the back of his jeep. At a nod from Troy he picked up the headset for the radio and called for the plane that headquarters had waiting on standby. Giving them the instructions in code, he arranged to start the show that would hopefully convince the Germans to call off the search for the Colonel.

"Hitch, load the patrol car with explosives. Get a few pieces of uniform from the Colonel and the Lieutenant. Throw in something from the privates too. We may as well kill all of them off for now. We can resurrect them later." He added with a grin.

"Right Sarge." Hitch went about gathering the articles as instructed. He made sure that there were enough explosives to totally eliminate the vehicle. They wanted it to look as if the bodies had been disintegrated.

Moffitt was still holding the mike for the radio. "Troy, why don't we let the Lieutenant make a call?"

"Just who do you think he should call?" Troy waited for Moffitt's explanation.

"I think he should call the base for help. He can tell them that he and the boys managed to rescue the Colonel and they are fleeing in the patrol car. It would be only natural that we would give chase. That would put all of them in the car when the bomb hits. It would also explain why the car was heading back toward the base where the Germans will get a good view of the attack."

"Good idea, have him make the call if he will. I'll drive the patrol car out to where the plane is scheduled to hit it." Troy started to climb into the doomed vehicle.

"Hey Sarge, let me do that." Tully, who had just come down from guard duty, headed for the German car.

"I got it Tully. I was just kidding about you volunteering."

"I am volunteering Sarge. Let me do it. You can keep an eye on the Colonel and make sure that pilot knows what he is supposed to do." Tully slid into the driver's seat before Troy could beat him to it.

"Alright Tully, just be careful. Get out early, let the car go where it will. The bomb won't have to be a direct hit with all these explosives packed in here."

Tully nodded and waited for Troy to give the order to go. Finished packing the explosives and evidence in the car, Hitch was waiting in his own jeep. He sent Tully a worried look as the lieutenant made the call to the German base.

Troy gave the order and the patrol car led the way across the open desert with the two jeeps of the Rat Patrol in pursuit. The staff car and the German prisoners were hidden with the staff car in a nearby wadi. The three mobile prisoners watched in awe as the little scene played out. Tully had secretly disabled the staff car and the radio just in case any of the three decided to change their minds about surrendering. The three young men stayed out of sight as the jeeps pursued the fleeing patrol car. In the distance they could see the dust of the search parties from the base as they answered the fake call for help. The drone of an airplane added to the drama.

Troy dropped back, giving the patrol car a longer lead. As the Germans headed for the patrol car, the plane started its attack. Troy was watching closely, silently urging Tully to jump. He could see Tully doing something to the steering wheel but he couldn't tell what he was doing. The plane was getting closer; too close. 'Jump Tully jump!' Troy kept saying under his breath. The car hit a depression and jumped the next hill causing the wheels to turn to the right. Troy couldn't see Tully anymore and he hadn't seen him jump. The plane followed, correcting its flight path for its bomb run. Heavy machine gun fire erupted from the halftracks approaching from the other direction.

The jeeps backed off their pursuit and dodged between some dunes. A few of the patrol cars separated from the main party to chase the Americans; the other kept racing toward the patrol car.

Ignoring the bullets searching for it, the plane concentrated on the target. At just the right moment the pilot released his bomb load. The resulting explosion, helped along by the dynamite Hitch had placed in the back seat, tore the car apart. The flaming hunk of metal that was left was barely recognizable as a patrol car. The plane pulled up and headed back toward its own base.

Troy watched from atop a hill as the German column approached the wreck.

"Troy, that patrol is almost here." Moffitt called from his jeep. Reluctantly Troy ran for his jeep; he hadn't seen any sign of his other driver.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 9

Dietrich stood in his radio room and listened to the calls from his search columns. The call from Lt. von Strom had alerted everyone to his position and predicament. One by on the columns and patrols called in, reporting that they were headed to his location.

Dietrich kept his expression neutral as he tried to figure out what was happening. Rescuing the Colonel had not been a part of the plan; in fact, it went against everything they had hoped to accomplish. It made no sense. Returning to the base would be throwing away all their efforts; he didn't understand why they had changed their minds. He had no doubt that the Major would insist that they go back out after the Rat Patrol as originally ordered and this time, the Rat Patrol would not be willing to help. He fumed silently as the drama unfolded.

The reports of the three young men rescuing the Colonel were very confusing; how had they managed that? Now they were being chased by the Americans, and it seemed that they were getting away, again, how? Dietrich knew from experience that the commandos were not fools or careless; how had three inexperienced boys gotten the better of them? It was another puzzle that would require an answer when the young men were safely back on the base.

When one commander excitedly reported sighting a British plane targeting the fleeing patrol car, the Captain found himself gripping the back of the radio operator's chair. Dietrich nearly cried in frustration; nothing was working out as planned and it was looking worse and worse for the three young men.

"The plane is targeting the patrol car!" An excited voice screamed over the radio. Dietrich gripped the back of the chair and tensed, waiting for the next transmission. "It's hit! It's hit!"

There was a long pause before the line crackled to life again. "The patrol car carrying Lt. von Strom and the Colonel has been hit." The voice was quiet now, no longer screaming. "It exploded, there is nothing left of it. There can be no survivors. We found the Colonels hat where it landed but as yet we have found no bodies. Perhaps once the fire dies down we will find something. Right now it is burning too hard to tell."

Grabbing the mike from the radio operator, Dietrich called to the unidentified caller. "This is Captain Dietrich. Did you see how many men were in the car before the explosion?"

"No Captain, it was too far away."

"Very well. Stay there until you can confirm or deny that the Colonel was in the car." The Captain handed the mike back and slumped against the wall. "Call me if there are any new developments."

The radio operator nodded, his hands flying over the dials trying to separate all the different signals vying for his attention.

With a heavy heart the Captain returned to his quarters. Reaching into his cabinet, he removed the bottle of brandy, and drank a farewell toast to his three young soldiers.

He radio continued to be crowded by jumbled messages but nothing concrete. The patrol cars chasing the two jeeps were lost amid the chaos. It was hours before someone realized that they hadn't returned. A search party located the bullet riddled cars not far from the wreckage of the Colonel's patrol car.

Most of the search parties returned to the base, leaving only a few to watch the wreckage burn.

In all the confusion, no one noticed the lone figure who crawled away from the depression near the wreckage. No one saw him make his way toward a small wadi just big enough to hide two small jeeps. Once there he took the wheel of one of the jeeps and the entire team departed for another wadi where they had left their prisoners.

The eight men and three vehicles waited for the search parties to return to the base before they started their long journey home. Two tense, nail biting days later, they dodged the last of the German patrols to see the outline of their own base come into view. They breathed a sigh of relief as the jeeps rolled onto the base.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Special Delivery Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 10

"The Lieutenant is willing to cooperate in return for our protection." Sgt. Moffitt presented his case to Captain Boggs and Colonel Wilson.

"And you think this information is valuable?"

"I have no idea Colonel but I believe it's worth investigating. Whatever it is, Captain Dietrich seemed really disturbed when he spoke of it."

"Alright Sergeant, I'll inform headquarters of your recommendation. I'm pretty certain that we can work something out that will be agreeable to everyone." Colonel Wilson agreed to try to convince the commanders to protect Lt. von Strom. He had also agreed with the idea of starting the rumor to discredit the Colonel in the future.

Troy and Moffitt left the meeting satisfied with the results. They dropped by the quarters assigned to the prisoners to talk to Lt. von Strom. The MPs allowed them ten minutes to speak with the young German.

At their knock, the lieutenant bade them enter. His surprised expression suggested that he had not expected to see them again.

"Is all well?" His worried glance was aimed at Moffitt.

The Brit reassured him with a smile. "We just left Colonel Wilson. He has agreed to take your request to oour commanders. He feels that they will agree."

"You will keep me informed?"

"We will Lieutenant."

Three days later they returned to tell him that he would be sent to a POW camp in America in return for the information he carried. As a bonus, both of his teenage companions would accompany him. The Colonel had pulled some strings to get them sent somewhere where they would be safe.

Two nights later…

Captain Dietrich returned to his quarters to retire for the night. He considered having a drink before he turned in. The loss of Lt. von Strom and his two young privates had left him feeling depressed. No bodies had been found, but that was not surprising considering the condition of the wreckage. Drinking was is only relief from the guilt.

Turning on the light, he noticed a sheet of paper folded on his night stand. Opening it, he began to smile.

 _Hello Captain,_

 _Just thought we'd drop you a note to say that your three packages were delivered safely. They are being sent to the destination you determined. They will be safe until this war ends. Sleep well._

 _T_


End file.
